Toy boat propulsion means



July 13, 1965 J. OKONSKl TOY BOAT PROPULSION MEANS Filed June 20, 196211 2': CIA/V INVENTOR. O raA/sla,

United States Patent 3,193,967 TOY BOAT PROPULSION MEANS Jan Olronski,1234 E. Borchard Ave, Santa Ana, Calif. Filed June 20, 1962, Ser. No.203,808 2 Claims. (Cl. 46-4 This invention relates to propulsion meansand more specifically to such means particularly adapted for use inpropulsion of toy boats.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved propulsionmeans.

Another object of this invention is to be provide a propulsion meanswhich is inexpensive to produce.

A further object of this invention is to provide a light weight simplepropulsion means particularly adapted for toy boats.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an easily operatedmeans for propelling vessels in water.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a toy boat withremotely operated propulsion means.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent in thedetail description below in conjunction with the attached drawingswherein:

FIGURE 1 is a pictorial view of a toy boat incorporating a preferredform of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the rear portion of theboat taken along 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the rear portion of theboat; and,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of the rear end of the boat taken along44 in FIGURE 3.

As will be developed, the present invention includes a novel means forpropelling fluid such as water through a port. The velocity given thefluid is useful to move the fluid from one point to another. Also thereaction force which naturally accompanies such acceleration of thefluid may be used in much the same manner as jet aircraft are propelled.

The present invention is particularly well suited to be used aspropulsion means for a toy boat. Broadly the propulsion unit comprises apropulsion, or pump, chamber which accomplishes its intended function bythe action of a diaphragm chamber operatively associated therewith. As aresult of the operation of the diaphragm chamber, water isintermittently discharged from the pump chamber at a relatively highvelocity whereupon the reaction forces accompanying this expulsion movesor propels the boat.

Referring now to the FIGURE 1, there is shown a toy boat, indicatedgenerally by the arrow 6, having a hull 7. Disposed at the rear portionof the hull 7 is an elongated housing 8 which extends parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the boat 6.

The housing 8 provides a cavity 9 (see FIGURE 2) which receives apropulsion unit according to the present invention. This propulsion unitis operated by fluctuating air pressure in a diaphragm chamber in amanner which will be described in more detail below. In order to supplythis fluctuating air pressure, a relatively long flexible tube 11, e.g.,three feet long, is connected to rear end of the boat and at its far endcarries a hollow semi-rigid sequeeze bulb 12 which is adapted to be heldin the operators hand.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 4 the propulsion unit will be describedin more detail. At the forward end of the cavity 9, the housing 8 hasbeen counter-bored to form a seat 13. Also formed at the forward end ofthe housing 8 is a fitting 14 through which extends passage 15. Thefitting 14 receives thereon one end of a short tube 16 which has theother end thereof received on connecTr 17 secured to the rear of thehull 7. As can be seen, the relatively long flexible tube 11 is alsoreceived on the connector 17.

3,193,967 Patented July 13, 1965 Located within the cavity 9 is a rigidcylinder or pump chamber 18 having in end 19 a discharge port or hole20. Disposed within the cylinder 18 is a flexible diaphragm 21 which isvery similar in shape to an elongated balloon.

The manner in which the flexible diaphragm 21 and the cylinder 18 aresecured to the boat hull 7 should be noted. Forward end 22 of thediaphragm 21 has been turned back over the outside of forward end 23 ofthe cylinder 18. With this arrangement, by proper sizing of the cylinder18 relative to the seat 13, the cylinder and the diaphragm 21 may besecured by forcing the forward ends of these elements into the seat 1 3.

With the components arranged as disclosed, there is provided a pumpchamber 24 formed between the cylinder 18 and the diaphragm 21. Inaddition, there is a diaphragm chamber 25 formed between the forward endof the housing 8 in the diaphragm 21.

The toy boat 6 is propelled by repeatedly drawing water through thedischarge port 20 into the pump chamber 24 and then rapidly expellingthat Water through said discarge port as indicated by arrows 27 inFIGURE 3. In order to accomplish this the flexible diaphragm 21 isrepeatedly moved between the collapsed condition shown in FIGURE 2 inthe expanded, or inflated, condition shown in FIGURE 3.

The diaphragm 21 is put in the collapsed position in the followingdescribed manner. The operator removes the tube 11 from the connector17. At that time he collapses squeeze bulb 12 substantially. Then hereplaces the tube 11 on the connector 17 and releases the bulb 12. As isconventional, the walls of the bulb 12 tend to return to their normalmolded position. This draws a partial vacuum, removing the air from thediaphragm chamber 25 whereupon the water pressure collapses thediaphragm.

The just described process would not be necessary if the diaphragm 21were molded in the collapsed condition since the diaphragm would becollapsed before the bulb 12 and the tubes 11 and 16 were connected.However, I prefer to use cylinder diaphragms with one end closed, suchas illustrated. These diaphragms are cheaper and also they can beexpanded more in the cylinder 18 without undue forces. This permits theoperator to discharge water through port 20 more easily and morerapidly.

In operation, the operator merely repeatedly squeezes and releases thebulb 12. This action repeatedly varies the pressure in the diaphragmchamber 25 between a partial vacuum and a pressurized condition. Thepressure in diaphragm chamber 25 produced by the squeezing of the bulb12, expands the diaphragm chamber and expels water from the pump chamber24 by reducing the volume of the latter chamber. This expulsion of theWater rearwardly through the opening 20 gives the boat a forward thrust.When the bulb 12 is released, the resiliency of the walls of the bulbcause it to expand effecting a partial vacuum in the diaphragm chamber25 whereupon water re-enters the pump chamber 24 as the diaphragmchamber contracts.

As the boat 6 moves through the water by the propulsion forces abovementioned, the operator follows the boat to maintain slack in theflexible tube 11. Thereby the fact that the tube 11 connects the boatwith the hand held bulb 12 does not affect the movement of the boat.

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown anddescribed in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat such is by way of illustration only. Numerous changes may be madeto the embodiment disclosed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

For example, the means which form the pump chamber 24, could be moldedas an integral part of the hull 7 of the boat. 7

Similarly the particular shape that the diaphragm means ed solely to thescope of the appended claims;

. takes may be changed and still accomplish its intended function.

Accordingly, the'scope of this invention should be limit- I claim: Vt 1. A toy boat adapted .to float in'the water, said boat comprising:

a hull having a predetermined waterline; t

meansforming a rigid pump chamber in said boat;

means forming a discharge port through which water in said pump chambermay be directed out thereof rearwardly with respect to said boatsubstantially parallel to said water line, said discharge port beinglocat-r ing water to be intermittently expelled from the pump chamberthrough'said discharge port and said boat is propelled along the surfaceof the Water. 2. A t-oy boat adapted to float in water comprising:

means forming a flexible diaphragmchamber within a hull having anelongated cavity opening to the rear '7 end thereof;

an annular seat formed in the forward end of said 7 -cavity;, a t I anelongated rigid cylinder in'said cavity having an open forward endreceived into said seat; 7 means forming a discharge port at the rearend of said u 4 cylinder communicating the interior and exterior of thecylinder, said port being below the water level when the boat isfloating in water, said port being shaped so as to direct Water exitingsaid cylinder substantially parallel to the surface of the water whenthe boat is floating in water; l

a resilient diaphragm located within said cylinder and being heldbetween said seat and said cylinder, said diaphragm forming with saidseat an expandable diaphragm chamber within said cylinder at saidforward end of said rigid cylinder; meansforproviding partial vacuum andpressure alternately to said diaphragm chamber to contract and expandit;

a relatively long flexible tube communicating the interior of saiddiaphragm chamber with thealternating partial vacuum and pressure ofsaid last mentioned means, said tube opening into said chamber through aV the center of said seat whereby the alternating partial vacuum andpressure contracts and expands said diaphragm' chamber andintermittently .expels water 4 through said dischargeiport to propelsaid boat.

References Cited! by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 RICHARDC(PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner.

1. A TOY BOAT ADAPTED TO FLOAT IN THE WATER, SAID BOAT COMPRISING: AHULL HAVING A PREDETERMINED WATER LINE; MEANS FORMING A RIGID PUMPCHAMBER IN SAID BOAT; MEANS FORMING A DISCHARGE PORT THROUGH WHICH WATERIN SAID PUMP CHAMBER MAY BE DIRECTED OUT THEREOF REARWARDLY WITH RESPECTTO SAID BOAT SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID WATER LINE, SAID DISCHARGEPORT BEING LOCATED BELOW SAID WATER LINE; MEANS FORMING A FLEXIBLEDIAPHRAGM CHAMBER WITHIN SAID PUMP CHAMBER FORMING MEANS; HAND OPERATEDMEANS SUPPLYING VARYING PRESSURE; AND A LONG RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE TUBECOMMUNICATING WITH SAID DIAPHRAGM CHAMBER THE PRESSURE OF SAID LASTMENTIONED MEANS, WHEREBY OPERATION OF SAID VARYING PRESSURE MEANS FROM APOINT REMOTE FROM SAID BOAT CAUSES SAID DIAPHRAGM CHAMBER TO EXPAND ANDCONTRACT CAUSING WATER TO BE INTERMITTENTLY EXPELLED FROM THE PUMPCHAMBER THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE PORT AND SAID BOAT IS PROPELLED ALONG THESURFACE OF THE WATER.